Oil Sump Having Oil Filter on Carrier Unit

ABSTRACT

An oil sump, preferably made of plastic or metal, is provided for engines or transmissions, the oil sump comprising a filter housing including a filter housing top shell, a filter housing bottom shell, a filter medium, a filter inlet, and the filter outlet, and having an oil drain opening in a floor area of the oil sump, implemented in such a way that it is closable using an oil drain screw having external thread, which comes from the oil sump outer side. The oil sump also includes a carrier unit having a frame, on which the filter housing is fastened and which is used as a seal upon fastening of the oil sump on the associated unit, in particular on an engine block or a transmission unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to foreign Patent Application DE102008038958.7, filed on Aug. 13, 2008, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an oil sump. More particularly, thepresent invention relates to an oil sump for engines or transmissions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Oil sumps known from the prior art, preferably made of metal or plastic,typically have a separate filter placed in direct proximity to the oilsump floor, comprising at least one oil filter medium and one oil filterhousing, which is preferably implemented as a suction oil filter. Oilsumps of this type having such an oil filter are known. It isproblematic in the filters disclosed above that complex fastening and/orfixing of the components with one another is necessary because of theseparation of the components, such as the oil sump and the oil filter inparticular. A connection of these components is performed according tothe prior art, for example, by riveting, etc. Furthermore, oil filtersplaced separately in an oil sump have a gap between the filter bottomside and the inner side of the oil sump, which results in uncontrolledair suction and the development of noises due to movement of the loosefilter in the oil sump. This results in a decrease of the filterefficiency and a reduction of the usage comfort.

According to another approach of the prior art, the filter is fastenedpermanently and no longer removably in the oil sump, for example, bywelding and/or gluing. These embodiments have the disadvantage, however,that a separate replacement of the filter is not possible, and areplacement of the oil sump/oil filter unit is thus very complex andcostly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide an oil sumphaving an oil filter, which no longer has the disadvantages describedabove and/or in particular to disclose an oil sump, preferably made ofmetal or plastic, in which the oil filter is integratable permanently,the number of the required components being reduced simultaneously, theassembly being made easier, the costs for production and installationbeing lowered, undesired disadvantageous technical effects beingreduced, and the filter being easily replaceable as needed and thusbeing able to be situated so it can be separated in the oil sump.

The oil sump is preferably entirely or partially made of plastic ormetal, and is suitable in particular for engines or transmissions. Theoil sump comprises a filter housing and an oil drain opening in thefloor area of the oil sump. The filter housing comprises a filterhousing top shell, a filter housing bottom shell, a filter medium, afilter inlet, and a filter outlet. The construction of such a filterhousing is fundamentally known from the prior art. The oil drain openingin the floor area of the oil sump is implemented in such a way that itis closable using an oil drain screw having external thread which comesfrom the oil sump outer side. The oil sump has a carrier unit having aframe, on which the filter housing is fastened and which is used as aseal upon fastening of the oil sump on the associated unit, inparticular on an engine block or a transmission unit. This fastening maybe performed directly or indirectly, and it may be removable ornon-removable. The carrier unit may be implemented in one piece ormultiple pieces. The carrier unit may be produced from a single materialor from various materials, and this is also true for its various parts.Because the filter housing is fastened on the carrier unit, the filterhousing may be removed together with the carrier unit from the oil sumpin the event of a possible filter change. The use of the carrier unitthus makes access to the filter housing easier. The frame of the carrierunit is used as a seal upon fastening of the oil sump on the associatedunit, such as an engine block or a transmission unit. This presumesthat, on the one hand, the material of the frame of the carrier unit isselected accordingly, and the dimensions of the frame are adapted to theoil sump and/or its external dimensions, in particular the outer edge,so that the sealing effect may be achieved in its entirety as much aspossible on the basis of the carrier unit when the oil sump is fastenedon the associated unit. The integrated implementation of carrier unithaving a frame, which has seal properties, and having the filter housinghas the advantage that the number of required individual parts isreduced further. It is no longer necessary in particular to use aseparate seal for fastening the oil sump on its associated unit. The oilsump is preferably fastened on its associated functional unit byscrewing.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the filter housingtop shell is fastened on the frame of the carrier unit. According toanother preferred embodiment, the filter housing bottom shell isfastened on the frame of the carrier unit. The fastening may beperformed in each case directly or indirectly, and it may be removableor also non-removable. The fastening is performed, for example, bywelding, gluing, clipping, etc.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the frame of thecarrier unit has holes for receiving screws, which are provided atpoints at which an outer edge of the oil sump also has holes, so thatthe oil sump may be fastened on the associated unit, in particular anengine block or a transmission unit, and the frame is used as a seal. Ifthe carrier unit having the filter housing is inserted into an oil sump,it is immediately obvious from the position of the frame compared to theexternal dimensions, in particular the outer edge, of the oil sump,whether or not the carrier unit and with it the filter housing areplaced directly in the oil sump. On the one hand, this is clear from thecorrespondence of the provided holes in carrier unit and oil sump edge,on the other hand, of course, also from a correspondence of the externaldimensions of carrier unit and/or frame on one side and externaldimensions of the oil sump on the other side. It is also possible toconnect the oil sump with its associated unit using the carrier unitand/or its frame as a seal element in a particularly simple way.

A functional unit for whose correct functioning an oil sump is providedis understood as the associated unit in this case. In the case of an oilsump for engines, this is the engine block, in the case of an oil sumpfor transmissions, it is the transmission unit. Further applications maybe concluded directly by one skilled in the art.

The frame of the carrier unit may have different external dimensionsand/or widths according to the invention. In particular, it is possibleto adapt its external shaping to each known oil sump individually and/orto pre-finish it in series.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, thecarrier unit has one web or multiple webs, via which the filter housingis connected to the carrier frame. The filter housing is frequentlylocated in a central area of the oil sump and not directly adjoining aside wall of the oil sump. In order to produce a connection between thefilter housing and the carrier unit and/or the frame of the carrierunit, connection elements are provided from the filter housing up to theframe of the carrier unit. These elements are preferably implemented inthe form of webs. These are comparatively narrow connection elementswhich may be provided individually, in pairs, or in multiples. Thedimensions of the webs and their numbers may be adapted to the requiredstability, vibration behavior, etc. of the entire oil sump unit. Thefilter housing is preferably connected on at least two positions to theframe of the carrier unit using one or more webs in each case. Theposition of these connection elements and/or webs is preferably selectedso that the distance to the frame is low, on the one hand, and theconnection points are preferably opposite to one another, on the otherhand. This allows the greatest possible stability. The webs may form theconnection between frame and filter housing freely traversing the oilsump, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the webs aredesigned so that they cling to the floor of the oil sump in theconnected state. This allows an especially good and secure and, inaddition, space-saving fastening.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the oilsump has a magnet on which the carrier unit is fastened or fastenable.Such a magnet is fundamentally known from the prior art and is used forcollecting metal parts in the oil sump, such as small metal particles,which may occur because of wear phenomena in the functional unitassociated with the oil sump. The magnet may be fastened on the carrierunit in greatly varying ways. In particular, it may be removablyfastened on the carrier unit. Upon a replacement of the magnet, it maythus be easily removed together with the entire carrier unit from theoil sump and replaced as needed on the carrier unit. The magnet may, forexample, be screwed down, glued on, or also simply held by magneticforces and/or appropriate shaping, e.g., depressing the carrier unit atthe point provided for the magnet, on its place in the carrier unit.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the filterhousing has an internal thread, which is implemented to receive theexternal thread of the oil drain screw, and the filter housing beingfastened on the oil sump at least partially via the oil drain screw,which closes the oil drain opening and engages using its external threadin the internal thread on the filter housing side. According to thisembodiment, the oil drain screw, which is provided in the oil sump inany case, may not only be used to close the oil drain opening providedin the floor area of the oil sump, but rather at least a part of thefilter housing, in particular the filter housing bottom shell and/or thefilter housing top shell, may simultaneously be fastened on the oil sumpvia the oil drain screw. In this way, particularly efficient andcost-effective positioning of a least a part of the oil filter housingis also achieved, because an oil drain screw is already provided instandard oil sumps according to the species. The already known closurefunction of the oil drain screw thus also has a fastening function forfastening at least a part of the oil filter housing added to it. Thesole fastening of the filter housing by the oil drain screw on the oilsump is already often sufficient, but the use of a carrier according tothe invention having the filter housing allows a simple, additional, andthus still secure fixing of the filter housing in the oil sump, however,without an additional work step being necessary. The additionalfastening of the filter housing on the oil sump is performed by usingthe frame of the carrier unit as a seal element, and such a seal elementwould normally have had to be provided separately in any case otherwise.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the filterhousing bottom shell comprises an internal thread, which is implementedto receive the external thread of the oil drain screw. In addition tothe filter housing bottom shell, the filter housing thus also has afilter housing top shell in this embodiment, which is connected in asuitable way to the filter housing bottom shell. For this purpose,further connection means, preferably removable, such as detent means,may be provided to allow a replacement of the filter medium situatedinside the filter housing. Fundamentally, it is also possible in thiscontext to provide both the filter housing bottom shell and also thefilter housing top shell with a suitable internal thread, which aresituated lying one above another in the installed state in thescrewing-in direction of the oil drain screw, so that the oil drainscrew fastens both the filter housing bottom shell and also the filterhousing top shell on the oil sump.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the filter housingbottom shell is formed by a floor area of the oil sump, and the filterhousing top shell comprises an internal thread which is implemented toreceive the external thread of the oil drain screw. In this embodiment,a separate filter housing bottom shell is thus not necessary, becausethis function is achieved by a subarea of the oil sump floor. Themodule, which is to be fastened on the oil sump and is open toward oneside, thus comprises at least the filter housing top shell (andoptionally also the filter medium). Correspondingly, the internal threadwhich is necessary to receive the external thread of the oil drain screwis situated on the filter housing top shell. In order to make theengagement of the external thread of the oil drain screw in the internalthread on the filter housing top shell side easier, it is preferablyimplemented in a way protruding from the inner surface of the filterhousing top shell and pointing in the direction toward the oil sumpfloor. Especially preferably, the internal thread and/or the part of thefilter housing top shell forming the internal thread protrude far enoughin the direction of the oil sump floor that, in the installed state,this part of the filter housing top shell stands on the oil sump floorand/or is in contact therewith. The filter housing top shell is fastenedespecially well on the oil sump floor in this way.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described further hereafter on the basis of theexemplary embodiments shown in the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of an oil sump according to an embodiment of thepresent invention having a filter housing and having a carrier unit.

FIG. 2 shows a lateral sectional illustration through the oil sump shownin FIG. 1 along section line A; and

FIG. 3 shows a lateral sectional illustration through the oil sump shownin FIG. 1 along section line B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a top view of an oil sump 1 according to an embodiment ofthe present invention made of aluminum having filter housing 9 andcarrier unit 11. The fundamental components of the oil sump 1 areclearly visible in this top view. In the exemplary embodiment shown, theoil sump 1 is shaped irregularly and has multiple depressions in thefloor 14 of the oil sump 1 in its central area. The filter housing 9 islocated in one central area of the oil sump 1. The filter housing 9 islinked via webs 12 to a frame 10. The frame 10 forms a component of thecarrier unit 11, to which the filter housing 9 is connected via the webs12. In this way, the carrier unit 11 forms a unit with the filterhousing 9, which may be inserted into the oil sump 1 in this unit andalso removed from it again. The frame 10 of the carrier unit 11 isimplemented as peripheral, i.e., as a completely closed frame. Itcorresponds in its external dimensions to the edge of the oil sump 1located underneath it. Holes 13, which are adapted to one another intheir position, are provided in both the frame 10 of the carrier unit 11and also in the edge of the oil sump 1 located underneath it. In thisway, in the event of appropriate material selection for the frame 10 ofthe carrier unit 11, a seal may be produced between the oil sump 1 andthe unit (not shown) associated with the oil sump, when the oil sump 1is fastened on the associated unit, in particular screwed on. Forexample, ethylene-acrylate rubber, which is extruded onto frame 10, iswell suitable as the seal material. A magnet 7 may be seen in the rightarea of FIG. 1. It is also fastened on the carrier unit 11. For thispurpose, the carrier unit 11 has a receptacle surface in order toreceive the magnet 7 in a specific area of the frame 10.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, two web pairs 12 are provided forfastening the filter unit 9 on the carrier unit 11. The two web pairsare attached opposite to one another at different points of the filterhousing 9, and the distance bridged by each of them between the filterhousing 9 and the frame 10 of the carrier unit 11 is comparativelyslight. It would also be conceivable, however, to provide the webs 12 atother positions and not in the form of diametrically op-posing webpairs. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the webs cling to the oil sumpfloor.

FIG. 2 shows a lateral sectional illustration through the oil sump 1shown in FIG. 1 along section line A. In this sectional view, thefundamental construction of the filter housing 9 is clearly visible. Thefilter housing 9 is composed of a top shell 3 and a filter bottom shell5. The filter medium 4 is located between these two shells. A filteroutlet 2 is provided adjoining the filter top shell 3. In theillustration shown in FIG. 2, the filter inlet 6 is located laterally tothe right on the filter bottom shell 5. The filter bottom shell 5 isprovided with an internal thread, in which an external thread of the oildrain screw 8 is received. In this way, it is possible to fasten thefilter housing at least partially via the oil drain screw 8, whichcloses the oil drain opening and engages using its external thread inthe internal thread on the filter housing side, on the oil sump 1. Asalready noted in the general part of the description of the invention,it is also possible that the filter housing 9 has a filter housing topshell, but the filter housing bottom shell is formed constructively by afloor area 14 of the oil sump 1. In this case, the filter housing topshell 3 comprises an internal thread, which is implemented to receivethe external thread of the oil drain screw 8.

The filter housing 9 is connected to the carrier unit 11. In thesectional illustration along section line A shown in FIG. 2, thisconnection may not be seen, however, because this connection is notprovided along section line A, this is only the case along section lineB. Instead, an area of the frame 10 of the carrier unit 11 may berecognized on the left in FIG. 2. It is on one edge 15 of the oil sump1. In the right area of FIG. 2, a section of the frame 10 of the carrierunit 11 may again be seen. It also lies on an edge 15 of the oil sump 1.Furthermore, starting from the area of the edge 10, the carrier unit 11extends further to the left, i.e., into the central area of the oil sump1. A depressed receptacle surface of the carrier unit 11 is implementedin the example shown, on which the magnet 7 is fastened. The parts whichare included in FIG. 2 in the carrier unit 11 and/or are connectedpermanently thereto (such as the entire filter housing 9 having itsparts) have the same shading in FIG. 2. Furthermore, it may be seen inFIG. 2 that the bottom shell 5 of the filter housing 9 is adapted in itsshaping to the shaping of the floor 14 of the oil sump 11. This allowsan especially simple and precisely fitted, and also space-savingconnection of the filter housing 9 to the floor 14 of the oil sump 1.

FIG. 3 shows a lateral sectional illustration through the oil sump 1shown in FIG. 1 along section line B. It may be seen well in thissectional illustration that a continuous connection exists between theframe 10 of the carrier unit 11 on both sides of the illustration inFIG. 3 and the filter housing 9 having its individual components. Theconnection occurs via webs 12 of the carrier unit 11. In the exemplaryembodiment shown, the webs 12 are designed so that they press againstthe floor 14 of the oil sump 1 and/or cling thereon. A hole 13 throughthe carrier unit 11 and/or the frame 10 of the carrier unit 11 may beseen on the left in FIG. 3. This hole 13 coincides with a hole 16, whichis provided on the edge 15 of the oil sump 1. In this way, the carrierunit 11 may be placed exactly in the oil sump 1, on the one hand, and ascrew may be guided through the openings 13 and 16 for fasteningpurposes, on the other hand, in order to fasten the oil sump 1 havingthe filter housing 9 located therein on the functional unit associatedwith the oil sump 1. The edge 10 is used as a seal.

With the aid of the invention it is possible to place and fasten afilter housing 9 in the oil sump 1 in a simple way. Moreover, providingseparate seals for the subsequent attachment of the oil sump 1 on anassociated functional unit is superfluous, because the frame 10 of thecarrier 11 automatically also ensures this function. In addition, theimplementation of a carrier unit 11 on which the filter housing 9 isfastened ensures even greater stability and better handling ability ofthe entire device. In particular, combined with fastening of the filterhousing 9 on the floor 14 of the oil sump 1 through the oil drain screw8, which is provided in any case, highly flexible us-ability of thefilter housing 9 and very secure, reversible, and simple fastening ofthe filter housing 9 in the oil sump 1 according to the invention resultin this way.

The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from thedetailed specification, and, thus, it is intended by the appended claimsto cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, sincenumerous modifications and variations will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to theexact construction and operation illustrated and described, and,accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto that fall within the scope of the invention.

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 12. An oil sump, comprising: a filter housing including afilter housing top shell, a filter housing bottom shell, a filtermedium, a filter inlet, and a filter outlet; wherein the filter outletis provided on the filter housing top shell, and the filter housingbottom shell has an outside shell floor area which is not permeable tofluid and the filter inlet is provided on the filter housing bottomshell, with the filter inlet being provided at a region of the filterbottom shell; an oil sump housing including a sump floor area having anoil drain opening closable by an oil drain screw, and a peripheryconfigured to attach the oil sump to a unit, wherein the filter housingis mounted to the oil sump housing with the filter medium substantiallyenclosed there between, and further wherein the filter housing bottomshell outside floor area is adjacent to and overlies a portion of thesump floor area, with substantially no space there between, therebypermitting no fluid flow between the portion of the sump floor and thefilter housing bottom shell.
 13. The oil sump according to claim 12,wherein the filter inlet is disposed on the filter housing bottom shell,thereby permitting fluid flow into the filter housing via the filterinlet adjacent a side region of the filter bottom shell.
 14. The oilsump according to claim 13, wherein the oil sump housing is made ofplastic.
 15. The oil sump according to claim 13, wherein the filteroutlet is disposed on the filter housing top shell.
 16. The oil sumpaccording to claim 15, wherein the oil sump housing is made of plastic.17. The oil sump according to claim 12, wherein the unit comprises is atleast one of an engine block and a transmission.
 17. The oil sumpaccording to claim 12, wherein the filter outlet is disposed on thefilter housing top shell.
 18. The oil sump according to claim 12,wherein the oil sump housing is made of plastic.